3 LeT terrorists killed in encounter in J&K's Sopore

IMAGE: Army displays arms and ammunition recovered from the gunned down terrorists in Sopore on Saturday. Photograph: Umar Ganie for Rediff.com

Security forces on Saturday killed three Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists in an encounter in Sopore area of north Kashmir, the police said.

Two of the killed terrorists were locals while one was yet to be identified, the police said.

The gunbattle took place after security forces launched an operation following information about the presence of terrorists in Amargarh area of Sopore in Baramulla district, a police official said.

As the security forces were closing in, the terrorists opened fire, which was returned, the official said.

Two killed terrorists were identified as Javid Ahmed Dar of Baramulla and Abid Hamid Mir of Bandipora, the police said.

Three AK rifles and two magazines were recovered from them, the police added.

Meanwhile, three persons were injured in Bandipora district when Army personnel allegedly opened fire on a group of stone-pelters who targeted them, police said.

A mob pelted stones at Army vehicles which were passing through S K Bala locality in Sumbal area of Bandipora on Saturday morning, a police official said.

He said the Army personnel allegedly opened fire to disperse the mob, resulting in injuries to three persons.

The injured have been referred to a hospital in Srinagar for treatment, he added.

A similar incident took place at Harnag in Anantnag district but there were no injuries there, the official said.

3 LeT overground workers held from Shopian

The police on Saturday arrested three overground workers (OGWs) of Lashkar-e-Tayiba in Shopian district of south Kashmir.

Acting on a tip-off, a joint 'naka' (checkpost) of the state police and Army's 62 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) unit was set up near Nagbal, in the Zainapora area of Shopian, said a police spokesman.

He added that during checking, the three LeT OGWs -- Showkat Ahmad Mir, Waseem Ahmad and Junaid Ali Bhat -- were apprehended and three hand grenades were seized from their possession.

During questioning, the three men confessed that they were working at the behest of LeT operative Wasim Shah and were tasked with hurling grenades at police establishments and snatching the weapons of the securitymen in Shopian, said the spokesman.

The trio had also carried out reconnaissance of a few police pickets with a design to carry out terror attacks, he added.

A case was registered in this regard and a probe was on, said the spokesman.